Aragon coach Ash Parham addresses his team after it defeated San Mateo in a rivalry football game on Sept. 6, 2024. (David Kiefer)
Twenty-four years ago, longtime Aragon assistant coach Steve Sell earned the first of his 162 head-coaching victories, against crosstown rival San Mateo.
On Friday night, Sell’s successor Ash Parham, also a longtime Aragon assistant, earned Victory No. 1, also against the Bearcats.
Parham’s postgame Gatorade bath was the lasting impression of a 31-21 Aragon home victory that was brought forth by a spectacular fourth quarter by senior Jalen Scroggins, a rushing gem by Pau’uvale Hofafonu, and the steady play of quarterback Charlie Henderson.
In a matchup between the five-tiered Peninsula Athletic League’s tier No. 2 (Aragon) and tier No. 3 (San Mateo), the lead changed hands four times before Aragon (1-1) blasted into the lead and more with a 21-point fourth quarter.
Receiver/cornerback/kick returner Jalen Scroggins fancied basketball until his parents convinced him he might be better in football and has dedicated himself to the game while at Aragon. It’s easy to see why the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is determined to play in college.
In the fourth quarter, Scroggins recovered a fumble, caught a 24-yard touchdown pass, intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards, and returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown — all in a seven-minute span.
“Man, he’s a Five Star,” Hofafonu of his multi-talented teammate. Reached at the San Carlos In-N-Out where Scroggins and his teammates were ordering postgame burgers, Scroggins said, “That was a long fourth quarter.”
Scroggins said he told special teams coach Joseph Olive before the kickoff, “If they kick it to my side, I’m going to take it to the house.”
And he did indeed, though his other big plays deserve notice too. The fumble recovery came at a vital time. The teams were trading leads when Hofafonu put the Dons ahead, 17-14, on a 1-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter. It was his second touchdown during a 28-carry, 157-yard performance.
San Mateo (1-1), with a 17-carry, 161-yard rushing night from Jovani Hernandez Cruz, caused fits with its double-wing offense. Before the Bearcats could counter, Cruz was stripped by defensive end Viliami Fa and Scroggins picked it up on the move for a short return to the San Mateo 26-yard line.
As the third-down pass from quarterback Charlie Henderson traveled through the air, Scroggins was locked in a handfight with cornerback Ricky Gomez. Somehow Scroggins untangled himself from Gomez and cut inside to catch the ball between two defenders in the end zone.
“It’s a mindset thing when the ball’s in the air,” Scroggins said. “It’s my job to go get it.”
Scroggins stifled the next drive when he picked off a ball that was first tipped by teammate Brian Crespo. Though it didn’t lead to points, it bought Aragon time against a San Mateo team that ran for 265 yards. Of course, when the Bearcats did score, on quarterback Cameron Palma’s 29-yard run up the middle to bring San Mateo within 24-21 with 5:11 left, Scroggins immediately shut the door with his kickoff return.
The running back, who has been playing competitive rugby since age 8, was glad to see Scroggins cross the goal line. Hofafonu’s legs were in agony and he wasn’t too eager to return to the field at that moment.
“Oh man, you saved my life,” Hofafonu said to Scroggins.
As for Henderson, the senior and first-year starting quarterback completed 9 of 19 passes for 161 yards, with six passes going to receiver Conor Reidy for 104 yards.
Henderson is the son of two longtime Aragon teachers. His father, Steve, teaches history and has coached in Aragon’s junior varsity program for years. And his mother, Cindy, is a chemistry teacher.
“I’ve been here my whole life,” Henderson said. “My family loves this school and it means a lot to me. I take great pride in leading this team. I think we can do great things if we stay disciplined and keep improving.”
And that’s where Parham comes in. He is now the coach who will lead them.
Originally published at David Kiefer